If Keith Olbermann were not a very real, very angry American news anchor, commentator, and sportscaster, then he might have been a character dreamed up by the brilliant screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky in the movie “Network” (1976), his searing satire of television news. In that movie, an anchorman named Howard Beale goes insane, chucks his professional impartiality, and starts ranting and raving on the air against the depressing state of the world. As the host of the nightly newscast “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” (MSNBC, 2003- ), Olbermann’s critics – and some of his fans – would argue that Olbermann essentially did the same thing, night after night. A man who admittedly harbored many a personal demon – transformed a show that started out as a straight newscast into a bully pulpit for its star to attack the policies of the Bush Administration and the right-wing diatribes of his hated rival, Bill O’Reilly. In the process, Olbermann became a lightning rod for controversy and perhaps the loudest liberal voice on America’s airwaves.Keith Olbermann was born in New York, NY on Jan. 27, 1959. His father was a successful architect and moved the family to affluent Westchester County north of the city when Olbermann was still a child. He was an obsessive baseball fan and started collecting baseball cards as soon as his parents gave him an allowance. It was not merely a hobby. Olbermann became a nationally recognized expert on collecting and trading cards while still in his teens, publishing articles in several major publications. While attending the prestigious Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY, Olbermann decided to make sports his career, resolving to become the play-by-play announcer for his beloved New York Yankees or, failing that, a TV sportscaster. In retrospect, this may not have been such a far-fetched idea. An older classmate, Chris Berman, of Olbermann’s at Hackley grew up to be a founding member of the 24-hour sports network ESPN and its first star broadcaster.
Olbermann entered Cornell University at the age of 16 and majored in Communications. He worked at the college radio station, and upon graduation, wasted no time pursuing his dream of getting on the air. He joined a budding CNN in 1981, but moved on, heading to Los Angeles to become a sports anchor in the mid 1980s. Working at KTLA, then KCBS, he won 11 Golden Mike Awards (for outstanding broadcast work in Southern California) and became one of the highest paid sports anchors in the country. In 1992, he moved on to ESPN, joining Berman at the burgeoning sports network.
Olbermann was teamed with Dan Patrick to host the nightly “SportsCenter” (ESPN, 1979- ), a round up of the day in sports and the centerpiece of the network’s programming. Olbermann and Patrick proved to be an extremely popular team; they both possessed a dry wit, an encyclopedic knowledge of sports, and a penchant for coining a catchphrase. Olbermann’s home run call of “It’s deep and I don’t think it’s playable” became as familiar to baseball fans as the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” He and Patrick became the de facto face and voice of ESPN; well coiffed and ironic. They stayed together until 1997, with Olbermann winning a Cable ACE award for Best Sportscaster. The duo also co-wrote a book, The Big Show: Inside ESPN’s SportsCenter (Atria, 1997), and were cited by writer Aaron Sorkin as the models for the sportscasters in his short-lived TV dramedy, “Sports Night” (ABC, 1998-2000).
But despite his success and popularity with viewers, Olbermann left ESPN in 1997 under difficult circumstances. As his ratings grew, so too did his ego. He clashed with co-workers and network management. In 2004, Olbermann published an article in the online magazine Salon.com admitting that his problems at ESPN (and other places he worked) stemmed from his own insecurities and impulse control. ESPN hired him back on a part-time basis to join Patrick on his popular radio show, but banned him from the network’s offices. Management also excluded Olbermann from the guest lineup of its 25th Anniversary “SportsCenter” Reunion Week. It was not the first time Olbermann’s brash personality had angered the powers that be, and it would not be the last.
After ESPN, Olbermann bounced between MSNBC and Fox Sports Net in various show formats, but again he battled management over issues of content and control. At “The Big Show” (MSNBC, 1997) Olbermann grew frustrated that he spent most of his time covering the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He bolted after just one season to anchor and executive produce “The Keith Olbermann Evening News” (FSN, 1998), which, despite its grand-sounding name, was just a “SportsCenter” clone. Without Patrick sitting across the desk from Olbermann, the show lacked chemistry and struggled to find an audience. Olbermann also chafed at working at News Corp-owned Fox, whose conservative chairman Rupert Murdoch stood at the opposite end of the political spectrum from Olbermann.
Olbermann floated through a succession of jobs after leaving FSN. His reputation for bringing trouble with his talent made it hard for him to land anywhere for too long. He enjoyed getting back to baseball broadcasting, working as a pre-game host for the “1999 MLB All-Star Game” (FOX, 1999). He put his acerbic wit to good use doing guest spots on the TV sitcom “Arli$$” (HBO, 1996-2002) and the game show “Hollywood Squares” (Syndicated, 1998-2004). He found steady work doing a news show on ABC radio and seemed happy with keeping a low profile, but then the events of September 11th jolted him out of his complacency, as it did for many. A deeply shaken Olbermann lost close friends in the terrorist attacks and resolved to buckle down and commit himself to hard-hitting journalism. Aghast at what he considered the right-wing jingoism of the Fox News Channel and the complacency of CNN, he pushed MSNBC to give him another crack at a daily show. The network agreed and launched “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” (MSNBC, 2003- ) – the year America went to war against “terror.”
“Countdown” began as a prelude to the invasion of Iraq; a newscast with a specific focus, much as “Nightline” (ABC, 1980-) emerged during the Iran hostage crisis. But Olbermann soon took control of the show and refashioned the format to include a “countdown” of any stories he felt newsworthy. In particular, Olbermann began fearlessly attacking the Bush administration and its defenders – none more so than Bill O’Reilly, the star of the cable ratings juggernaut “The O’Reilly Factor” (Fox News Channel, 1996- ). Olbermann and O’Reilly engaged in a very public feud, using their airtime to criticize and mock each other. Olbermann frequently named O’Reilly the winner in a regular segment called “The Worst Person in the World,” while O’Reilly tried to use his sizable influence to get Olbermann replaced by Phil Donahue, his predecessor on MSNBC. O’Reilly’s attacks on Olbermann became less frequent when he realized they were actually helping his rival’s ratings, but Olbermann persisted in keeping up the barrage. “Countdown” still lagged far behind “The O’Reilly Factor,” but Olbermann narrowed the ratings gap by 2006-07 – the time many Americans – even Republicans – began waking up to the corruption and scandals of the Bush administration.
